The Edgar Allen Poe Essay

December 15, 2017

There are many possibilities when it comes to writing an Edgar Allan Poe essay. You could, for example, explore one of his many written works. You could also write an essay about Edgar Allan Poe himself. Whatever you choose, you will have to take the following steps in order to write a good piece on Edgar Allan Poe or his works.

Select a Topic

Do some preliminary research

Write a thesis statement

Define your supporting ideas

Write your essay on Edgar Allan Poe

Here’s some practical advice on successfully completing each step and ultimately writing a great essay.

Ideas for Edgar Allan Poe Essay Topics

The best Edgar Allan Poe Essays start with a great topic idea. Perhaps you have a few of your own. However, if you don't have any topic thoughts, here are some great topic ideas for essays on Edgar Allan Poe:

Does 'The Raven' deserve its position as the most popular of Edgar Allan Poe's written works?

What elements in Poe's writing style contribute to the dark atmospheres that he creates?

Compare and contrast Poe with a modern day horror tale writer.

Why is Poe's work so timeless, in spite of the fact that the language and references that he uses are so dated?

Explore Poe's use of humor in his short stories. (or irony)

Would Edgar Allan Poe be a popular writer today? Why or Why not?

Conducting Early and Fast Research to Write an Edgar Allan Poe Essay Thesis

Some initial early research will have to be done before you target a thesis. You don’t have to go all out here – just read a few things about him or a few things that other authorities have written about him or any of his short stories or poetry. Just throw in some keywords related to your topic and watch the pages fill up. So many people have written about this man and his works, you’ll have no problem. Take a few notes, because they will help you when you actually have to construct your thesis statement. Based on the topics listed above, here are a few thesis statement suggestions:

Although it can be easy to miss, there is a definite element of humor in many of Poe's stories.

Edgar Allan Poe was very skilled at using irony and dark humor in his writing. This would translate very well into the popular literature of today.

Poe's masterful use of imagery results in the dark atmospheres that are evoked in his writing.

Moving On – Getting Yourself Organized to Write

O.K. Now you are ready to identify your supporting ideas and get them into a sequence. If, for example, you have decided to write your essay on the humor to be found in his short stories, you will want to pick 3-4 stories, each one of which will demand a paragraph in your essay. This is actually pretty simple, no?

Now, go online and search for “humor or irony in Poe’s short stories.” A recent search in Google brought up several. And be glad it’s only several and not massive amounts. This narrows your research quite a bit, and you should be happy. Take good notes on the 3-4 stories that you will use (and do note the source – you do want to be honest about where you are getting your information).

The Writing – First Things First (yes, you will have to write a rough draft)

Put your body paragraphs together first. Each paragraph, as you know, begins with a topic sentence. For example, “The humor in The Cask of Amontillado is often overlooked because readers are so horrified by the outcome of the plot, and yet a closer look reveals it.” You’re ready for your supporting detail.

Write your introduction and conclusion last, and get a catchy title, something like, “Edgar Allen Poe – a Vault Full of Laughs.” This will hook your reader immediately!

Final Lap – Here You Come

After you have finished writing the first draft of your piece, you still have to take time to write your works cited page, review and edit your work, and finally prepare your final draft for submission. If that seems like a lot of work and a lot of time, it actually is.

Many students find writing Edgar Allan Poe essays and reviews to be kind of tedious, especially if he is an author they don’t appreciate. If this is you, don’t agonize over something you really have no interest in writing. Chances are what you produce will not be very well done under these circumstance. You can choose to order up an Edgar Allan Poe essay from an expert on 19th century American literature at EssayState.com and save yourself from the pain.